There were 16.7 million motor vehicles, including Motor cycles, registered in Australia for the 2012 Motor Vehicle Census (MVC). On an annual basis this is 2.3% higher than the number of registrations for 2011 and an increase of 13.3% since 2007, when there were 14.8 million vehicles registered in Australia. The average annual growth over this five-year period was 2.6%.

Type of vehicle-Census years 2007, 2011 and 2012

2007

2011

2012

Change 07/12

Change 11/12

Average annual growth 07/12

no.

no.

no.

%

%

%

Passenger vehicles

11 462 400

12 474 044

12 714 235

10.9

1.9

2.2

Campervans

43 266

50 653

52 600

21.6

3.8

4.1

Light commercial vehicles

2 189 559

2 530 630

2 617 799

19.6

3.4

3.8

Light rigid trucks

99 604

119 539

124 291

24.8

4.0

4.7

Heavy rigid trucks

294 887

318 223

322 115

9.2

1.2

1.8

Articulated trucks

74 444

85 965

87 995

18.2

2.4

3.5

Non-freight carrying vehicles

21 247

22 656

22 722

6.9

0.3

1.4

Buses

77 548

87 883

90 599

16.8

3.1

3.3

Motor cycles

511 966

678 790

709 288

38.5

4.5

7.0

Total motor vehicles

14 774 921

16 368 383

16 741 644

13.3

2.3

2.6

In the 5 years between the 2007 and 2012 MVC, the Passenger vehicle fleet has grown by 10.9% from 11.5 million to 12.7 million. Light rigid trucks and Motor cycles were the vehicle types showing the largest growth over this time, with increases of 24.8% and 38.5% respectively. Non-freight carrying vehicles had the smallest increase of 6.9% over the same period.

New South Wales had the largest share of the Australian fleet in the 2012 MVC with 4.9 million vehicles or 29.1% of all registered vehicles. Victoria had the second largest share with 4.3 million (25.6%) followed by Queensland with 3.5 million vehicles (20.9%). The Northern Territory had the smallest share with 0.1 million (0.8%) registered vehicles. These shares are comparable with the distribution of the population across states and territories.

State of Registration-Census years 2007, 2011 and 2012

2007

2011

2012

Change 07/12

Change 11/12

Average annual growth 07/12

no.

no.

no.

%

%

%

New South Wales

4 361 237

4 778 421

4 869 996

11.7

1.9

2.3

Victoria

3 818 062

4 198 371

4 286 284

12.3

2.1

2.4

Queensland

3 033 417

3 401 932

3 492 311

15.1

2.7

3.0

South Australia

1 156 961

1 261 925

1 275 041

10.2

1.0

2.0

Western Australia

1 676 495

1 912 739

1 977 756

18.0

3.4

3.5

Tasmania

381 226

419 009

431 991

13.3

3.1

2.6

Northern Territory

118 178

137 082

141 101

19.4

2.9

3.7

Australian Capital Territory

229 345

258 904

267 164

16.5

3.2

3.2

Australia

14 774 921

16 368 383

16 741 644

13.3

2.3

2.6

The national increase in the number of registrations from 31 March 2007 to 31 January 2012 was 13.3%.

The Northern Territory had the largest growth (19.4)% with an annual average increase of 3.7%, followed by Western Australia (18%) with an annual average increase of 3.5%, the Australian Capital Territory (16.5%) with an annual average increase of 3.2%, and Queensland (15.1%) with an average annual increase of 3%.

In the same five year period, South Australia had the smallest growth in fleet size (10.2%) and an average annual increase of 2%.

In Australia there were 745 motor vehicles per 1,000 resident population in the 2012 MVC. This compares with 705 vehicles per 1,000 residents in 2007, an increase of 40 vehicles per 1,000 residents over this time.

Tasmania had the greatest number of vehicles per 1,000 residents of all states and territories in 2012 with 844, followed by Western Australia with 828. This is compared with 2007, when Western Australia had the highest rate of 800, followed by Tasmania with 774 vehicles per 1,000 residents.

The Northern Territory had the lowest rate with 607 vehicles per 1,000 residents. New South Wales, which had the largest vehicle fleet at 31 January 2012 and the largest population at 31 December 2011, averaged 672 vehicles per 1,000 residents, the second lowest of all states or territories.

Motor vehicle fleet by population(a), State/territory of registration

AVERAGE AGE OF THE FLEET

For 2012, the average age of all vehicles registered in Australia was 10.0 years for the third consecutive MVC, and the same as 2007. Over this five-year period, Campervans, Light rigid trucks, Heavy rigid trucks and Buses recorded a decrease in the average age. Campervans showed the largest decrease in average age, by 1 year, followed by Light rigid trucks by 0.3 years, Buses by 0.2 years and Heavy rigid trucks by 0.1 years. Over the same period, Light commercial vehicles increased by 0.6 years.

For the 2012 MVC, 13.6 million vehicles in Australia (81.1% of the total vehicle fleet) were registered with a fuel type of petrol. This compares with the 12.7 million vehicles registered in 2007, when 86.3% of registrations were in this category.

The number of vehicles registered with diesel fuel in 2012 accounted for 15.9% (or 2.7 million vehicles) of the total fleet compared with 11.2% of vehicles in 2007.

Motor vehicle fleet, Type of fuel(a)

Greater numbers of Passenger vehicles and Light commercial vehicles registered with diesel fuel were the major contributors to this increase. While the number of Passenger vehicle registrations increased by 10.9% between the 2007 and 2012, the number of Passenger vehicles registered with diesel fuel increased by 103.1%.

Over the same period, Light commercial vehicle registrations in 2012 with diesel fuel have increased by 65.2%.

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE FLEET

Passenger vehicles accounted for 75.9% of all vehicles registered in Australia for the 2012 MVC, down from 77.6% in 2007. Queensland, Western Australia, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory recorded increases in the proportion of Passenger vehicles over this time. In the same period, New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania have recorded decreases. This decrease has been offset by increases in the proportion of Light commercial vehicles and Motor cycles in these states.

Light commercial vehicles accounted for 15.6% of all vehicles registered in Australia for 2012, the second highest proportion behind passenger vehicles. Since 2007, the Australian Capital Territory had largest percentage growth (27.2%), followed by the Northern Territory (25.3%) and Western Australia (23.9%). New South Wales had the smallest growth (15.9%).

Motor cycles accounted for 4.2% of all vehicles registered in Australia for the 2012 MVC, up from 3.5% in 2007. Western Australia recorded the largest percentage increase (57.6%), followed by the Australian Capital Territory (47.8%).

Rigid trucks accounted for 2.7% of the total number of vehicles registered in 2012 and 2007. Registrations of Rigid trucks with a gross vehicle mass (GVM) greater than 20 tonnes have increased by 22.3% since 2007, while registrations of Rigid trucks with a GVM of 20 tonnes or less have increased by 11.1% over the same period.

For the 2012 MVC, Articulated trucks only accounted for 0.5% of the total number of registered vehicles in Australia. From 2007 to 2012, the number of registrations of Articulated trucks with a GCM over 20 to 40 tonnes has decreased by 26.4%, while the number of Articulated trucks with GCM over 60 to 100 tonnes and greater than 100 tonnes has increased by 31% and 49% respectively.

This publication presents statistics relating to vehicles which were registered at 31 January 2012 with a motor vehicle registration authority. Motor vehicle registration statistics reflect the information as recorded in registration documents.

Statistics are provided on vehicle types comprising passenger vehicles, campervans, light commercial vehicles, trucks, buses and motorcycles. Vehicle characteristic information includes make of vehicle, year of manufacture, type of fuel that the vehicle was registered as using, and Gross Vehicle Mass or Gross Combination Mass for trucks. The size of the motor vehicle fleet is also compared with the estimated resident population.

INQUIRIES

For further information about these and related statistics, contact the National Information and Referral Service on 1300 135 070.